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It is difficult for me to assist you without being there with a one-on-one instruction, but, if you will concentrate on not casting a fly rod and, instead, concentrate on unrolling a fly line behind you on the back cast and unrolling it in front on the forward cast, it will help you to better understand the techinques of using a fly rod. You cast a spinning rod and a casting rod, but, you unroll fly line with a fly rod. Look at your back cast and watch your fly line unroll and do not come forward until it has unrolled behind you and then bring it forward and let it unroll in front of you before lowering the fly rod. This takes much less effort on your part.

What rainbowchaser recommended, with sitting in a chair, is good advise because when you are in a canoe, you are closer to the water and you will need to concentrate on holding the fly rod and line up higher on your back cast or it will hit the water behind you.

The above is offered as help. Most people are just too agressive with the stroke with the fly rod and do not allow the fly rod to do the work for you. A nice slow movement of the fly rod back to a stop and then a slow forward movement of the fly rod to the front stop is all it takes. The backward and forward movement should be a smooth movement with no agressive push of the rod hand coming forward. Just one smooth stroke back and forward with a short wait for the line to unroll behind you and in front of you is all it takes. Most try to really push the fly rod on the forward stroke thinking this is the movement needed and it is not.

Just trying to be helpful and nothing more.....

Warren
Fly fishing and fly tying are two things that I do, and when I am doing them, they are the only 2 things I think about. They clear my mind.

I do a ton of fly fishing out of a canoe, in fact I am not sure that I know how to cast a flyline in any oher position than sitting in a canoe! As far as equipment goes, a long flyrod will definitely help in picking the line up off the water and going into a soli back cast. Other than that, you need to learn to cast while keeping you weight centered in the canoe. I have a friend that goes on a small mouth trip with me every spring, we both fly fish out of my canoe and the canoe barely moves as we cast.

You are new to fly fishing so, don't try to make really long casts using way too much upper body movement. Start with short casts, I mean, you are in a boat so row little closer and make a cast. As you learn the timing of your cast you will be able to extend the cast a little farther, then some more....Take your time and learn to cast. Also, don't have a lot of loose items in the canoe since there is a chance the canoe will tip over, just minimize your potential for loss. As mentioned, a longer rod will help, a 10 or 11 foot rod, but you can cast nicely with a 9 footer as well, if you learn to cast properly. Again as mentioned, sit on a stool or even just on the ground (that is how a person using a tube must cast) and it will greatly help you with your back cast as you will find out really fast just how quickly the back cast can lower and hit the ground or water.

I fish from a kayak and had to learn to cast siting down. I practiced actually siting on the ground and casting (my kayak sits even lower than a canoe). Concentrate on good technique for shorter to medium range casts. Long casts can be really difficult. Two things to remember is that with the stealth of a canoe or kayak, you can usually get closer to the fish and if you are on open water, try to position yourself for downwind casts. One other thing that I have found is that, due to the siting position, I can actually get more power from a backhand cast.

When I fish from my Old Town canoe I sit flat on the bottom. Due to the smooth, flat bottom (on the canoe) I found this was the most stable for me to learn and just never changed. Down that low you can easily transfer to a kayak or float tube. Learning to cast that close to the water will force you to 'keep thy back cast up' and make you a better caster even when not in a watercraft. As advised above start short and go longer as you get more comfortable.

I cast about as good sitting in the canoe as I do when wading. I had taken up the canoe before the fly rod and so the first attempts were at standing in the canoe (in that I figured what an expert canoeist I had become), only to experience one of life's many rude awakenings ... I took some cold water dips + lost some gear in the process. Hence, I learned fly casting from the sitting position. As so many times pointed out, a distance cast might be necessary at times but the vast majority of fish are caught not that far away. In my experience, either from the canoe or wading, I've caught most of my fish within 30' - the problem with getting a fish on with a 60' cast is that extra 30' to bring it in.

Bottom line (and hard for some to comprehend), I'd rather fly cast sitting in the canoe vs standing. First off, there's more sport and skill to it. AND ... the only way to acquire the skill of fly casting sitting down in a canoe is to get out and start practicing fly casting sitting in the canoe.

The only reasons I can see for distance fly casting is: (1) seeing just how far you can cast, (2) showing off, (3) participating in a distance fly casting contest for some kind of a prize.

I have found that 4 things are most helpful. (1.) Use a long rod. (2.) When actually fishing, and not traveling, sit in the front canoe seat and face backward. As well as providing more stability it will greatly reduce the canoe "weathervaning".(3.) Cast with your arm, not your shoulder and back. (4.) Position yourself to avoid casting upwind.
Just have fun.